1. Field of the Invention
One or more embodiments of the invention are related to the field of containers. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention include a cup with nestable food container and cover, wherein the food container serves as a lid for the cup and may include one or more cavities to hold food or independent drop-in containers. The food container enables simultaneous or intermittent access of the contents of the food container and attached cup without disengagement of the food container from the cup. Furthermore, according to one or more embodiments, the cup includes narrow portion or ledge that supports a portion of the food container and this narrow portion may also be utilized as a fill line when filling liquids into the cup, to ensure that insertion of the food container does not result in overflow of liquid from the cup.
2. Description of the Related Art
Standard cup lids are simple covers that do not include an integrated food container. Rather, known lids cover the contents of a cup wherein the lid forms a closed container in combination with the cup itself. Known containers that couple with cups include food containers that fit onto the top of yogurt cups for example. These containers typically have to be removed from the yogurt cup and then flipped over and opened before the contents of the container and cup may be accessed. It is generally not possible to access the contents of the cup while also accessing the contents of the container without first disengaging the container from the cup. Additionally, food containers that attach to yogurt cups, for example, in an upside-down position have a limited food-volume capacity. In such cases, as the yogurt example shows, the food-container walls narrow as they proceed upward toward the bottom of the upside down container. Other known devices having a container or shelf combined with a lid have limitations, which makes these devices impractical to use.
One category of devices typically includes a container combined with a cup, but utilizes a hole in the middle of the lid. This makes it generally impossible to store relatively circular items, i.e., non-ring or non-annular items having no central hole, in the container, such as hamburgers, cookies or muffins for example. Another category of device typically includes a container combined with a lid, but does not allow for simultaneous access of the contents of the cup and the container, and does not allow for the container to be resealed or a drop-in seated container to be inserted and removed from the food container. Other containers that form portions of the lid have limitations in the amount of storage or shape of the storage area, which limits the quantity or type of food respectively.
Thus simultaneous or intermittent access of the contents of known cups and of the contents of an attached container is not practical for at least the reasons listed above. This makes for difficult drinking/eating coffee, soda, snacks, popcorn, etc., in malls, fast food restaurants, theaters, amusement parks, and sports stadiums or in any other venue. In addition, this makes it difficult to eat and drink food in a theater or stadium with one cup-holder per seat, and makes it difficult to simultaneously access solids and liquids using a plurality of containers and container cavities, without disengaging the containers/cavities.
Generally, spill proof dual function food/drink containers have been developed for parents to provide their children with a snack and drink at the same time. These types of containers which supply a food container body that rests in the upper portion of a drink cup are, typically, thick-walled, injection molded, and reusable. Such containers are usually manufactured abroad and are relatively expensive to manufacture compared to thin film or thin wall disposable containers. Reusable containers may be disassembled such that the various parts may be placed in a dishwasher. Thick walled reusable containers may additionally employ parts that screw together and utilize “O” rings for a tight leak-proof seal.
Although thick walled, reusable, food/drink containers have been developed, skillfully engineered, thin film thermoformed or thin wall injection molded disposable containers have not been developed for the fast food and convenience store industries. Thin film thermoforming and thin wall injection molding are typically the two most cost efficient manufacturing methods for producing high volume parts. According to industry standards, thin film or thin wall construction is defined in the approximate range of 0.010 to 0.030.
Typically, thin film thermoforming and thin wall injection molding are specific manufacturing sciences that demand precise engineering and highly accurate tolerances. Strategic strength features or elements that stabilize the structural integrity of the cups and containers, generally, must be incorporated into the construction of thin wall parts. Without strength elements, thin wall parts generally become flimsy and lose their ability to precisely mate with one another. Typically, thin film thermoforming requires drafts on all parts such that the parts may release from their prospective molds. When it comes to thin film or thin wall construction, every detail is important. Without precise engineering, for example, thin wall parts may lack structural integrity and these parts may lose their ability to precisely fit together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,827 to Labe et al., entitled “Multi-Purpose Closure for Containers”, appears to disclose a straw that goes directly through the inner cavity that is formed between a base member and a top cover, where the straw directly interferes with the inner cavity that holds an article or food item. The reference appears to lack any mention of an outer diameter flange of an upper food container cover, and wherein the outer diameter flange of the upper food container body may include two horizontal cap wall surfaces which meet and become flush when the upper food container cover is placed on the upper food container body. In addition, the reference appears to lack any mention of an arched shaped straw notch that intersects the outer edge or a straw hole adjacent to the outer edge that occur in the flush horizontal cap wall surfaces that are integrated into the outer edge regions of the upper food container cover and upper food container body. Hence, embodiments that show a straw require that the straw be removed before removing the cover to access the contents of the container, hence Labe does not allow for simultaneous access of the contents of the cup and container. Furthermore, the device of Labe et al. appears to lack any mention of a food container with a plurality of cavities to hold solids and liquids and at least one independent drop-in container.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,217,434 to Loh et al., entitled “Condiment Dispenser for Beverage Container”, appears to show a seal-on/peel-off cover sealing over a straw hole located adjacent to an outer diameter edge of a cylinder. The reference appears to lack any mention of tapered or drafted sidewalls due to the fact that a cylinder is a tube like structure that has straight or parallel sidewalls. In addition, using the device of Loh, before a straw can be inserted, it appears as though the seal-on/peel-off layer must be removed, since a straw notch or straw hole is not present at the outer edge of the cylinder or cylinder cover. Loh discloses wherein the seal-on/peel-off layer is adhesively adhered to the top edge of the cylinder, and wherein the seal-on/peel-off cover is flat thus restricting the height of food items that may be placed within the cylinder from proceeding above the rim of the cylinder. Loh appears to lack any mention of a domed upper food container cover or variable height domed cover that is replaceable, that allows for a wider variety of foods of various heights to be placed within the upper food container and reduces the depth requirement of the food cavity thus making it easier to reach in and grab food that is contained within the cavity. Loh is silent to resealing the container once the straw is inserted as well. Furthermore, the device of Loh appears to lack any mention of a food container with a plurality of cavities to hold solids and liquids and at least one independent drop-in container.
United States Patent Publication 20030089725 to Kang, entitled “Double Cup Separable Into Upper and Lower Sections”, appears to disclose an auxiliary cup with a hole through the bottom that may allow liquid to enter the food volume cavity of the auxiliary cup. In addition, Kang appears to show a guide rod through which a straw may pass to prevent food within the auxiliary cup from getting wet. However, the guide rod and straw appear to be centrally located which prevents a large food item or items from being placed within the auxiliary cup. Furthermore, Kang appears to show a cup with no structural support in the top edge of the up, and the cup may only be injection molded and utilized with a thick wall construction. The straw space as shown in the reference appears to be extremely large which increases the possibility that liquid will escape when the cup is tilted as the user is drinking from the cup. Additionally, it appears as though Kang lacks any mention of a straw notch or straw hole that may be placed in the top cover. Kang also describes an auxiliary cup that has no top edge or stopper thus making it difficult for the cover to attach to a cup lip that has no top edge. Furthermore, the device of Kang appears to lack any mention of a food container with a plurality of cavities that may hold solids and liquids and at least one independent drop-in container.
United States Patent Publication 20110094904, to Lee, entitled “Container for Food and Beverage”, appears to show that a straw cannot be installed in the main body of the container, sub-receiving cavity or the spouting portion until the thin seal layers are removed from the sub container body and the spouting hole. Removing the thin seal layers prior to using the device of Lee, for example, complicates the process of accessing the food and beverage contained within the main body and the sub-receiving cavity. Additionally, Lee appears to disclose wherein the sub-receiving cavity is tightly coupled to the main body, which further complicates the process of removing the sub-receiving cavity when refilling the main body with a liquid or beverage. Furthermore, the sub-receiving cavity and the sub container, of Lee, appear to be sealed by a seal member such as aluminum foil, and the seal member is designed to reseal. However, the seal member, for example, does not appear to include a thermoformed or injection molded snap-on or press-fit cover that includes an arch shaped straw notch or cut out that proceeds around the location of a straw or a pre-formed or pre-cut straw hole through which a straw may proceed to the contents of the main body or beverage cup. Furthermore, the device of Lee appears to lack any mention of a food container with a plurality of cavities that may hold solids and liquids and at least one independent drop-in container.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,740,575, to Fontaine, entitled “Dispensing Container” appears to disclose an inner container with a flat peripheral flange that is secured in a downwardly located annular grove located near the upper edge region of an outer cup. As such, the device of Fontaine makes it difficult to reach down into the cup to grip the edge of the inner container to remove it from the outer cup in order to refill the cup with a beverage or liquid. Additionally, using the device of Fontaine, it appears as though a straw cannot be inserted into the opening adjacent to the inner container until the top cover has been removed. The top cover appears to be flat which limits the height of food items that may be placed within the inner cavity. The device of Fontaine appears to lack any mention of a food container with a plurality of cavities that may hold solids and liquids and at least one independent drop-in container, and an upper food container cover that includes a simple domed or variable height domed cover.
Furthermore, there are no known devices that relate to an upper food container body that rests in the upper portion of a drink cup that demonstrates an inward arched or planar indent that intersects the outer substantially vertical sidewall of both the upper dome shaped food container cover and upper food container body where both inward indents are perpendicularly intersected by a horizontal cap wall that employs an arch shaped straw notch or straw hole and where both horizontal cap walls meet and become flush with one another when the cover is placed on the food container body and where additionally both flush cap walls form a double wall liquid retention barrier that surrounds the location of where the straw enters the arch shaped straw notch or straw hole.
In addition, no known devices show an inverted structural trough element integrated into an outer edge area of an upper food container body, where the inverted trough element may additionally acts as a spill retention barrier wall as well as providing a vertically oriented receiving wall that meets the small horizontally oriented flexible flange/lip of the upper dome shaped food container cover. Furthermore, no known devices demonstrate an upper dome shaped food container cover that employs a small horizontally oriented flexible flange/lip that rapidly snaps past one or more continuous or non-continuous male snap/bump elements that are integrated into the vertically oriented receiving wall of the inverted structural trough element that is part of the upper food container body.
No known devices disclose a thin wall upper dome shaped food container cover that employs an inward arched or planar indent that is perpendicularly intersected by a horizontal cap wall that employs an arch shaped straw notch that intersects an outside curved edge of the horizontal cap wall, wherein the straw notch allows the cover to be removed from the food container body without disturbing the orientation of the straw, such that the straw maintains its original position within the cup. Generally, an arch shaped straw notch may only be utilized when the upper food container cover snaps to the vertically oriented receiving wall of the inverted structural trough element. If the cover snaps to the exterior wall of inverted structural trough element, then it may be necessary to employ a straw hole due to the specific requirements of die cutting procedures.
Generally, known devices lack a food container body that rests in the upper portion of a cup and includes one or more dividing walls that form one or more downward oriented food cavities within the upper food container body. Furthermore, known devices typically lack a downward sauce or condiment cavity that may receive a prefilled condiment container located adjacent to a food cavity in order to facilitate the convenience of close proximity dipping. In addition, no known devices include two symmetrical sauce or condiment cavities located within the upper food container body, wherein the two prefilled drop-in sauce or condiment containers may be easily oriented as they are dropped into the symmetrical cavities.
Typically, no known devices show interchangeable upper food container bodies that may employ one or more downward food or sauce cavities that may vary in depth in relation to one another, wherein each of the different and unique food container bodies may fit into the upper region of a same size drink cup. Furthermore, typical devices appear to lack a disclosure of an upper dome shaped food container cover that may be configured according to the various height requirements of various foods, such that the various height food container covers may be interchanged with the various food container bodies that fit within the upper region of the same size drink cup.
Generally, no known devices use an independent drop-in food container with a replaceable press-on cover, such that the upper food container body may include a microwaveable, independent drop-in food container with a replaceable interior wall or exterior wall press-on cover. In addition, no known devices include an upper food container body with a downward food cavity that may receive an independent drop-in food container, and one or more downward arch shaped finger grab indents adjacent to the downward food cavity that may facilitate easy lifting and removal of the independent drop-in food container from the downward food cavity.
Typically, known devices appear to lack an upper dome shaped food container cover that additionally includes a downward cavity of any size or shape in the top horizontal wall of the variable height dome shaped cover that may hold one or more additional sauce or condiment containers, small cookies, candy, toys, utensils or promotional items. Furthermore, known devices generally lack any disclosure of an additional downward cavity in the top horizontal wall of the variable height dome shaped food container cover that may include a replaceable interior wall or exterior wall snap-on or press-fit cover that may contain the contents of the downward cavity.
For at least the limitations described above there is a need for a cup with nestable food container and cover wherein the container includes at least one or a plurality of downward oriented container cavities.